Teen Pregnancy on Rise for 1st Time in 15 Years

Jump has health chiefs worried
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 11, 2008 5:06 AM CDT
Teen Pregnancy on Rise for 1st Time in 15 Years
Health experts are worried about the rise in teen pregnancies, as the young mothers are likelier to smoke and less likely to seek proper pre-natal care.   (Shutter Stock)

The teen pregnancy rate increased in 2006 for the first time since 1991, reports CNN. Officials from the National Institutes of Health aren't sure if the 2.8% increase in the number of teen moms is a blip or the start of a trend, but the figures are a "red flag that something has gone wrong," one expert told Bloomberg.

Babies born to teens tend to have lower birth rates and more health and behavior problems, and their moms are less likely to finish high school. Some observers speculated that pregnancies of high-profile teens like Jamie Lynn Spears will continue to have an impact. "Scenarios that were once considered taboo are applauded today," said a doctor. "There seems to be less of a stigma for young girls.'' (More pregnancy stories.)

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